BRADFORD Park Avenue has withdrawn its objections to planned double yellow lines around Horsfall Stadium, designed to prevent its supporters from inconsiderately parking.

Earlier this year Bradford Council proposed introducing new traffic orders in several areas on and around Cemetery Road, leading to the stadium.

The Highways Department said it had received a number of complaints about match day parking - including parked cars blocking driveways and the entrance to North Bierley Cemetery.

There were also concerns that the volume of parked vehicles made it more difficult for emergency service vehicles to pass down the street.

Double yellows were proposed around the cemetery entrance, near residents' driveways and on bends in the road.

After the plans were revealed, the club wrote to the Council to say "they objected to any of the restrictions being proposed as it would stop users of the Horsfall Stadium parking close to the ground."

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On Thursday evening members of Bradford Council's Bradford South Area Committee met to decide whether to go ahead with the orders, or to drop them at the club's request.

However, at the meeting members were told that a recent shake up of officials at the club had led to the objection being withdrawn.

A report to the committee had said: "Due to visitors to the stadium parking too close to the accesses of the stadium namely, the access to North Bierley Cemetery, a bend which is unsighted on both approaches, at junctions, and down both sides of this road.

"Drivers park as close to the ground as possible and do not consider access for through traffic or local residents. The proposed restrictions will maintain access should emergency services be needed and to maintain through traffic on Cemetery Road or access the stadium."

Councillor Angela Tait (Lab, Royds) said: "I have raised concerns about this before, because people want to park as close as possible to the stadium. A cemetery should not be used as a public car park."

Carl Marsden, Associate General Manager for the club, attended the meeting and said the club's former CEO Damian Irvine had lodged the objection.

He said the objection was now withdrawn, adding: "We support parking controls in this area. We're happy with double yellows down one side of the road. That would mean two cars could pass each other safely without having to stop."

He told members of a recent incident where an elderly supporter collapsed, injuring his ribs. He said the incident had not happened on a match day, but if it had the traffic would have made it difficult for an ambulance to get anywhere near the

"There is a parking area behind the club with space for around 125 cars but it is not used anywhere near capacity.

"We can't have cars parked across people's drives or at the entrance to a cemetery."

He asked for the Council to create a number of blue badge parking bays on the street for disabled fans, a request the Highways Department agreed to.

Chair of the Committee Councillor Alan Wainwright (Lab, Tong) thanked Mr Marsden for working positively with the Council.